Chương 201: An Invitation from Yin Xue

Just as Liuli was holding Jiying with a satisfied expression, enjoying this moment of peace that belonged only to her, Meanwhile, the heated argument between Xingxian and Yinxue has unknowingly escalated to a point where neither side can maintain a semblance of peace.

"No!"

Yin Xue crossed her arms, her beautiful emerald green eyes filled with vigilance and displeasure. She rejected Xing Xian's seemingly reasonable suggestion without hesitation.

"Of course Xiaoying is coming back with us! Why should she go with someone she's only known for a day?!"

Xingxian looked at the emerald green magical girl in front of her, who was full of hostility towards her. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly. She patiently tried to maintain the composure and rationality of an inspector and attempted to explain with a more convincing reason: "Yinxue, calm down. Xiaoying is very weak right now. It is the best choice for me to take care of her, both from a safety point of view and in terms of the efficiency of subsequent energy replenishment."

"I don't care about the best option!" Yin Xue retorted angrily. She took a step forward and subtly blocked Ji Ying and Liu Li's figures behind her, adopting a standard "food-protecting" posture.

"Besides, when it comes to taking care of her, we're far more experienced than you, someone who's only known her for a day!"

She slightly raised her chin, a sweet smile full of smugness spreading across her face, and dropped a bombshell that would send Xingxian reeling: "Xiaoying, she's slept in my house more than once!"

These words caused a crack to appear in Xingxian's composure and calmness, and an indescribable sense of bitterness and loss welled up in her heart.

—Not just once?! Their relationship has become so intimate that they can stay overnight at will?!

Seeing Xingxian's greatly affected expression, Yinxue felt even more smug.

Although she was actually referring to Lin Che, and that home was also their shared home, that didn't stop her from using this undeniable "fact" to deliver a powerful blow to this suddenly appearing "love rival."

However, before she could press her advantage, Xingxian forcefully suppressed her resentment and launched a new counterattack, trying to gain a chance to turn the tide: "Is that so? That's truly an enviable bond." Her voice remained calm, but there was a slight, almost imperceptible tremor at the end.

"However, what Xiaoying needs most right now is probably not just rest, but an energy core to replenish her depleted energy, right?"

She raised her head, a renewed gleam of confidence rekindled in her silver-gray eyes, and looked directly at Yin Xue, then said, "Can you produce enough high-quality Void Beast energy cores to replenish her energy? If not, then Xiao Ying should naturally come back with me, and I will be responsible for providing her with subsequent energy replenishment—"

"What you said makes a lot of sense," Yin Xue interrupted her without any politeness, her beautiful emerald green eyes narrowing slightly with a hint of scrutiny.

"But would you just leave something as important as an energy core lying around in your temporary residence instead of carrying it with you in the 'Tears of the Star'?"

"I—" Xingxian's breath hitched, and she subconsciously looked away, answering softly with a hint of guilt, "I came out in a hurry this time, so—I didn't bring it with me."

"Oh—really?" Yin Xue deliberately dragged out the last syllable, revealing a mischievous smile that said, "I don't believe you."

Xingxian's cheeks flushed slightly uncontrollably. Of course, she knew how ridiculous her excuse was, but the words were already out and could not be taken back.

—This woman! She'll tell any lie just to bring Xiaoying home! A dignified inspector, telling such an obvious lie—she's utterly shameless!

Yin Xue looked at Xing Xian's obviously guilty appearance and secretly mocked him in her heart, her face full of the composure of a victor.

Meanwhile, Xingxian was also filled with remorse and intense shame.

—What the hell was I saying just now?! How could I have unconsciously come up with such a flimsy excuse just so I could go back with Xiaoying?!

She deeply realized that she really—very much—wanted to go back with Xiaoying, to hold her tightly, and to sleep with her again.

To achieve this goal, she might even start to do some childish things that are completely inconsistent with her professionalism as a patrol officer because of her competitive spirit.

What frustrated her even more was that she seemed to have no valid reason to overpower the emerald green magical girl in front of her.

Thinking of this, a deep sense of sadness and loss welled up in Xingxian's heart once again.

She struggled to get up from the ground, seemingly trying to leave to hide her disappointment, but just as she was about to stand up, she felt a wave of weakness, her body went limp, and she slumped back down against the wall.

Staring at her hands in disbelief, she seemed completely unaware that she had become so weak that even standing up was difficult.

As Xingxian reluctantly pursed her lips, wanting to try to get up again, a slender hand gently pressed on her shoulder, stopping her movement.

She was slightly taken aback, and looked up at the girl who had just been arguing with her, somewhat puzzled.

Although Yin Xue's face still showed some dissatisfaction, her emerald green eyes clearly revealed genuine concern.

"You—" Xingxian was about to say something when Yinxue impatiently interrupted her.

"Alright, alright, stop being so stubborn," Yin Xue pouted, her gaze falling on Xing Xian's tattered combat suit, especially noticing the clear tear on his flat stomach, and she couldn't help but click her tongue softly.

The voice contained a complex mix of emotions, including "What a troublesome guy" and "He's injured like this and still acting tough."

"You stay here quietly and don't go anywhere. I'll be back in a bit," Yin Xue said in an almost commanding tone.

After saying that, she didn't even give Xingxian a chance to respond before turning around and walking towards Liuli.

She skillfully took the still "sleeping" Jiying from Liuli's arms, and after holding him firmly in a princess carry, she walked towards a corner that was out of sight of Liuli and Xingxian.

At the same time, she turned to her friend and reminded her, "Xiao Li, take care of her and don't let her run around before I get back."

Liuli watched Yinxue's departing figure, then glanced at Xingxian beside her, who seemed somewhat bewildered and disappointed by their earlier interaction, and shook her head helplessly.

She stepped forward and sat down beside Xingxian, hesitating slightly before asking softly, "Miss Xingxian, how are you? Are you badly injured?"

Xingxian watched the two figures disappear around the corner in the distance, and felt a strange sense of loss.

She then turned to look at the girl beside her who had also shown her genuine concern, gently shook her head, and said softly, "It's just that my magic power is overdrawn. My essence is not injured, but—it may take a few days to recover."

Then, with a touch of self-deprecation, she added, "Only just now did I truly realize how weak I had become—"

"You're in such a sorry state because of the enemy, and you're still arguing with me here—that's so unprofessional."

"You've done your best, it's okay," Liuli said softly, trying to comfort her.

Xingxian knew that Liuli was trying to comfort him, but when he recalled that he had not only fallen into Jingjue's trap and almost become a tool for the other party to deal with his companions, but also dragged Xiaoying down to her current weak state because of her efforts to save him, an overwhelming sense of sadness and self-blame welled up in his heart.

She unconsciously clenched her fists, remaining silent and not responding to Liuli's words of comfort.

When I held Xiaoying in my arms before, the indescribable sense of satisfaction and security seemed to temporarily mask the sadness of her wounded pride.

But now, Xiaoying has been "snatched" away by that girl named Yinxue, and he can't take her back with him. The sadness of defeat and the loss of losing his embrace are combined, making Xingxian feel very uncomfortable.

Seeing Xingxian's silence and dejected expression, Liuli asked softly, "What exactly happened in that alternate dimension?"

Xingxian didn't answer the question. After a while, she looked up at Liuli and asked in return, "After this—when you're ready to leave, you'll go back to your own home, right?"

The question made Liuli stiffen slightly. She immediately thought of her nominal "home" and her blood father, and her eyes dimmed instantly.

She shook her head gently, her voice becoming somewhat low, and replied, "No, today—I won't go back."

Upon hearing this answer, Xingxian looked at Liuli with some confusion, wondering why, after she asked that seemingly ordinary question, the other person's face also showed a similar expression of sadness and disappointment to her own.

She suppressed her doubts for the time being and continued, "If you're not going home, where do you plan to go?"

"I've been staying at Yin Xue's house for the past few days," Liu Li replied softly.

"I'll be going back with her in a little while."

"Living at Yin Xue's house?" Xingxian suddenly realized upon hearing this answer.

She immediately recalled Yin Xue's boastful remark earlier, "Xiao Ying has slept in my house more than once," and a seemingly reasonable guess instantly formed in her mind.

"Could it be—" Hoshizune's tone carried a hint of uncertainty, "that you—are treating Ginyuki's house as a secret base for magical girls in this city?"

Liuli was slightly taken aback by the other party's guess.

She certainly didn't want to tell the inspector, whom she had only recently met, about her complicated family background, but a direct denial seemed likely to invite more unnecessary questions.

After a brief hesitation, she could only nod vaguely: "—You can understand it that way."

This somewhat vague answer only made Xingxian, who had already accepted the answer, feel even more disappointed.

So that's how it is?

Xiaoying and the others had become such close partners that they knew each other's true identities and even established a "secret base" in the homes of their relatives.

Xiaoying—clearly, was already a regular at this "secret base."

This feeling of loneliness from being alone and excluded made her feel even sadder.

After a moment of silence, Xingxian hugged his knees and said in a low voice, "I originally planned to invite you to my temporary residence after this to share with you all the intelligence I obtained during this operation."

"However, given the current situation, it seems unnecessary to do that."

"Yinxue would definitely not want Xiaoying to come to my place, and my relationship with you guys doesn't seem to be close enough for us to know each other's true identities."

"How about we meet again at that abandoned school building at the same time tomorrow, just like we agreed before, and then share information?"

As Liuli listened to Xingxian's words, which were filled with loneliness and utter despair, a pang of pity welled up in her heart.

She really wanted to say that Yin Xue wasn't actually such an unreasonable person, and that she had a feeling that he would invite Xing Xuan to his home after he returned.

However, she was not the owner of that house, and she could not make a promise on behalf of her friend.

In the end, Liuli could only nod slightly, which was considered as acquiescing to Xingxian's suggestion.

For a moment, the two girls, both preoccupied with their own thoughts, fell into a subtle silence.

After an unknown amount of time, while Liuli and Xingxian were still savoring the bitterness and helplessness in their hearts, the figure they both cared about finally reappeared at the corner.

After seeing the two return, Xingxian struggled slightly to stand up, leaning against the wall behind her.

Her movements were still somewhat labored, and her face remained pale, but her silver-gray eyes appeared unusually calm, as if she had already accepted yet another defeat in this "battle".

Xingxian took out several erosion-grade energy cores that emitted obvious energy fluctuations from his "Tears of the Stars," walked up to Yinxue, and reached out to hand them to her.

"Let's replenish Xiaoying's spiritual energy first."

This action was tantamount to her proactively revealing to Yin Xue her complete lie that Guan Gan had kept the "energy cores in the temporary residence."

Although he ultimately couldn't get Xiaoying to go back with him, his concern for her and his willingness to provide her with energy cores to replenish her virtual energy were sincere and shouldn't have been mixed with any additional conditions.

Xingxian thought to herself, then forced a slightly forced smile and said to Yinxue and Liuli, "I won't bother you any longer, I'll head back now."

However, when faced with the energy core that Xingxian handed over and her seemingly nonchalant farewell, Yinxue just gave a soft snort and didn't reach out to take it. Instead, she crossed her arms and looked at the other person with an extremely dissatisfied expression.

She slightly raised her chin and said to Xingxian in a tone that carried a hint of arrogance and unquestionable authority, "Also, who gave you permission to go back alone?"

"You have to come back with us today too."

Upon hearing this, Xingxian abruptly raised her head, and for the first time, obvious shock appeared in her usually calm, silver-gray eyes.

She looked at Yin Xue with disbelief, seemingly unable to understand why the other party would suddenly make such an invitation.

Upon hearing Yin Xue's words, Liu Li, standing to the side, revealed a knowing smile that said, "I knew it."

Let's go back to a short time ago.

Yin Xue carried Ji Ying in a princess carry and quickly walked to a secluded corner out of Xing Xian and Liu Li's sight.

After gently placing the other person on a relatively clean stone slab, Yin Xue squatted down and looked at the other person's peaceful and serene sleeping face. The jealousy and dissatisfaction in her heart had long been replaced by overflowing love and pity.

She couldn't help but reach out and first curiously poked Ji Ying's soft, bouncy cheeks. Then, she went even further and stretched out both hands to knead that cute little face into all sorts of strange shapes.

"Hmm—I've seen it so many times, but sleeping Xiaoying is really cute," she murmured to herself, a perverted smile spreading across her face.

"I can't help it—I just want to take action."

As Jiying was forced to have her cheeks kneaded like dough, she inwardly roared, "This despicable guy, did he bring me here alone just to do this kind of thing?!"

However, the next moment, she heard the iconic "click" sound of the phone camera ringing out one after another, and the roar in her heart instantly turned into a desperate wail.

No way?! This guy—he's actually taking pictures of me sleeping?!

The thought that Su Yuqing might use these newly released "dark history" photos to blackmail him and force him to meet all sorts of excessive demands sent a chill down Ji Ying's spine.

However, on the surface, she forced herself to maintain steady breathing and a peaceful sleeping face, not daring to reveal the slightest flaw.

Because she knew that if she revealed that she was pretending to be asleep, not only would she be unable to delete the photos, but it would also give the other party an even more fatal handle—that she had been faking sleep all along.

Just as Jiying was contemplating her future fate with grief and indignation, she felt that the evil hands seemed to be getting more and more outrageous, and even began to move towards parts of her face other than her cheeks.

No way! If she continues like this, my innocence will be completely ruined!

Ji Ying made a decision immediately, controlling her body, making her long eyelashes tremble slightly, and making a cute, slightly nasal sound as if she was about to wake up.

"Eh?"

Upon seeing this, Yin Xue was indeed startled. Like a guilty thief, she immediately withdrew her hand and quickly hid her phone behind her back.

Just then, Ji Ying pretended to be confused and slowly opened her eyes. What came into view was Yin Xue's face, which was trying hard to hide her guilt and pretend to be calm.

"Xiaoying! You're finally awake? That's great!" She immediately flashed a bright smile, her voice filled with joy and concern.

—This girl, she's putting on quite a good act. — But I was pretending just like her— Ji Ying silently cursed in his heart, then struggled to sit up and looked around, feigning confusion as he asked, "Yin Xue? I—how did I get here? I remember—I was lying next to Xing Xian—where is she?"

"I'll explain her situation to you later," Yin Xue's expression suddenly turned serious.

"First, let me ask you something. Are you able to deactivate your transformation and return to your original form now?"

Ji Ying was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and subconsciously tried it, but the result was the same as before.

That power, deeply integrated with the soul, remained unmoved, showing no sign of dissipating.

Her face instantly stiffened.

Oh no! I was so focused on Xingxian and Jingjue that I completely forgot about this most important thing!

If I don't go home for one day, I can make up an excuse by saying I was having too much fun at my friend's house and forgot the time. But if I don't go home for two nights in a row, my parents will definitely worry. How am I supposed to explain that to them?

Thinking of this, Ji Ying immediately raised her head, her dark red eyes instantly becoming misty with tears. With a pitiful expression, she silently pleaded with Yin Xue in front of her.

"Ugh————" Seeing Ji Ying's soft and cute appearance again, Yin Xue felt as if another arrow had been shot into her heart.

She puffed out her chest with a hint of smugness and said confidently, "Okay, okay, don't worry, I've already thought of a solution. We just need to make some preparations beforehand."

After explaining her ideas to Ji Ying, Yin Xue immediately received heartfelt gratitude and admiration from him: "That's fantastic! Let's do it that way. From now on, it's all up to you!"

Seeing the light of gratitude and admiration in Jiying's eyes, and hearing this undisguised praise, his smugness grew even stronger.

—Hmph, at a time like this, that inspector certainly wouldn't have thought of such a perfect solution, right? As expected, I'm the one who understands Xiaoying the most and can help her the most. I've won this round again!

But in her moment of triumph, thinking of Xingxian, Yinxue also recalled another purpose for bringing Jiying here alone.

Her expression turned serious again. Looking at Jiying, she asked in a deep voice, "In that case, we'll have to bring that woman named Xingxian home with us later."

"Will she agree to keep quiet for now—Xiaoying, do you really think this is the right thing to do?"

Looking at the serious yet wary expression on Yin Xue's face, Ji Ying tilted his head as if he didn't understand: "What do you mean by suitable or unsuitable?"'

Yin Xue, somewhat annoyed, reached out and pinched Ji Ying's soft cheek again, rubbing it hard. Then she said, "You were asleep and didn't know, but when Xiao Li and I arrived, you were being held in that woman's arms!"

"And she later said—she also said that she had fallen for you and wanted to be the most special one in your heart. Her feelings for you are definitely not innocent!"

Hearing Yin Xue's accusations filled with jealousy and worry, Ji Ying's face revealed a doting smile tinged with helplessness.

She reached out and gently covered Yin Xue's hand, which was still pinching her cheek. Her dark red eyes gazed at him intently and tenderly, and she said in a soft yet incredibly clear voice, "Are you worried?"

The most special place in my heart will always belong to you alone.

"9 These sudden, straightforward words instantly struck the softest spot in Yin Xue's heart.

Her body stiffened abruptly, and her cheeks flushed bright red in an instant, her ears burning hot as well.

"Who, who's worried!" She hurriedly released her grip on Ji Ying's cheek, turned her head to the side, and retorted stubbornly, "Don't think that saying such cheesy things will make me happy!"

Although she said that, the uncontrollable slight upturn of her lips and the undisguised joy deep in her eyes had already completely betrayed her true thoughts.

Looking at Yin Xue's adorable, contradictory expression, Ji Ying's smile deepened.

She continued, "And—didn't you already decide from the beginning that Xingxian would come back with us?"

"You're very worried about her, aren't you?"

"No, no way!" Yin Xue instinctively denied loudly, as if to cover up her panic at being caught out.

"How could I possibly worry about that—that annoying woman who's trying to steal you from me!"

Ji Ying smiled and stood up, reaching out to gently stroke Yin Xue's smooth, emerald-green hair in an extremely natural manner.

"But at the same time, she's also our comrade, isn't she?"

"The Yin Xue I know is—very, very gentle. She's not the kind of person who would abandon a weak companion."

Ji Ying's head-patting gesture made Yin Xue squint her eyes slightly, like a cat being petted by its owner, and she even hummed comfortably a couple of times.

But she quickly realized what was happening.

Something's not right, something's really not right! How did I manage to get so easily swayed by this guy's words again?

She immediately took a half-step back warily, distancing herself from Ji Ying and pulling away from his head-patting gesture. She scrutinized him with a suspicious look: "Wait—I'm asking you, how did you know that I decided to let Xing Xian go back with us because I found Xing Xian to be very weak?"

"Could it be that you were—"

"That's because I already noticed that when I was treating her wounds!"

Almost the instant Yin Xue finished speaking, Ji Ying quickly came up with a perfect answer.

"I sensed that her magic was almost completely depleted, so I guessed that you wouldn't just leave her to fend for herself, given your personality."

Yin Xue didn't completely believe this explanation. She narrowed her eyes slightly, a malicious smile on her face, and slowly approached: "Oh~ really? It still sounds a bit suspicious, Xiao Ying."

"How about you tell me the whole process of healing Xingxian, in detail?"

"Well, let's talk about that later. Let's go back first, so we don't keep Xingxian and Xiaoli waiting."

As she spoke, she quickly walked back the way she came.

Yin Xue looked at Ji Ying's retreating figure, which resembled a hasty retreat, and sighed helplessly.

She knew that she had gone too far in "playing" in the corner and had wasted a lot of time. It was getting late, and she should go back.

So she didn't press the matter further, but quickly followed Jiying's footsteps, and the two of them walked one after the other towards the location where Liuli and Xingxian were.

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